In its latest release, Trapezium, CloverWorks (known for Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock!) presents a gripping anime film that deviates significantly from its promotional material. Contrary to the anticipated slice-of-life narrative about aspiring idols, Trapezium offers a compelling exploration of ambition through its cunning and manipulative protagonist.
Trapezium centers on Yu Azuma, a high school student with grand dreams of becoming an idol. Aware of her own limitations, Yu devises a strategic plan to achieve stardom. She aims to recruit three talented girls from different high schools in her town to form a group representing the four cardinal directions.
Yu’s journey begins at an affluent academy in the south, where she targets Ranko Katori and challenges her to a tennis match to gain her friendship. Next, she approaches Kurumi Taiga, a robotics team member at a vocational school in the west. Initially resistant, Kurumi eventually warms to Yu after she pretends to share an interest in robotics and helps Kurumi with her goals.
The final piece of Yu’s plan falls into place when she encounters Mika Kamei, an old classmate who attends school in the north and fits Yu’s criteria perfectly. Though Yu hides her true intentions from the group, her manipulative nature becomes apparent through her increasingly calculated actions.
Yu’s ability to manipulate her friends for her own gain is underscored during a charity event where she stages a public display of dissatisfaction when the group is separated, all to secure a social media-worthy photo op. Her behavior reveals the extent of her manipulation, pushing her friends to participate in her schemes under the guise of camaraderie.
Rather than the anticipated wholesome story of friendship and ambition, Trapezium unfolds as a psychological thriller focused on Yu’s ruthless quest for success. Her actions, while driven by a genuine desire to achieve her dreams, demonstrate a willingness to exploit her friends as mere stepping stones. This portrayal challenges viewers to balance admiration for Yu’s determination with the recognition of her moral shortcomings.
The film, while engaging in its character study, leaves certain aspects of idol life and the group’s dynamics underexplored. Nonetheless, it succeeds in delivering a taut, intense narrative centered on the complexities of ambition and the consequences of a meticulously crafted plan beginning to unravel.